Brian Bruns is a screenwriter, avid movie viewer and part-time film critique who resides in St. Paul, Minnesota. BRIAN E. BRUNS'S ABC MOVIE LIST
APARTMENT ZERO - An Argentine movie house owner takes in a mysterious American as a roommate. Imagine David Lynch meets The Odd Couple. Caveat: This recommendation is based on the theatrical version. The video version was cut by 8 minutes.
BATMAN: MASK OF THE PHANTASM - This feature version of the current animated series is in many ways the best of the Batman movies.
CHARADE - Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn star in the best comedy/romance/suspense thriller not directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Full of great scenes and great lines. "I hope we have a lot of boys, and we can name them all after you."
DAWN OF THE DEAD - This sequel to Night of the Living Dead is the ultimate gross-out movie. A group of people take refuge from flesh eating zombies in a shopping mall.
EXTERMINATING ANGEL - Luis Bunel's surrealistic satire on class and restrictive social structures. At least, I think that's what it's about.
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT - One of the best but least known of Alfred Hitchcock's films. On the eve of World War II, reporter Joel McCrea stumbles upon an international conspiracy. Almost equals North by Northwest and The 39 Steps in suspense, comedy, and action.
THE GOLDEN VOYAGE OF SINBAD - A sort-of-sequel to The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. (Only the producer and effects man Ray Harryhausen were involved in both.) Although the original is superior as pure entertainment, the sequel has a more authentic atmosphere, a roguish portrayal of Sinbad, and Caroline Munroe in an Arabian slave girl costume. (Not to mention Dr Who's Tom Baker as an evil wizard.)
HIGH AND LOW - Akira Kurosawa's adaption of an Ed McBain novel transferred to modern Japan.
ISLAND OF LOST SOULS - Apparently, H.G. Wells hated this adaption of his Island of Dr. Moreau. Nevertheless, it is one of the creepiest monster movies of the '30's. With Charles Laughton as Moreau and Bela Lugosi as "The Sayer of the Law." "Are we not men?!"
JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS - If you like the current Hercules TV series, see how it should be done right.
KHARTOUM - Charlton Heston and Laurence Olivier in an epic about the fall of Khartoum. Heston gives one of his best performances as "Chinese" Gordon.
LOCAL HERO - Quirky comedy about an oil company executive sent to buy up an Irish village for an oil refinery. I suspect the creators of Northern Exposure studied this film.
MILLERS CROSSING - The Coen brothers' complex gangster movie filled with incredible set pieces and great acting.
NAKED LUNCH - David Cronenberg adapts William S. Burroughs. As bizarre as it sounds. Also the best depiction of what it is like to be a writer.
ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. - Dinosaurs animated by Ray Harryhausen. An exploding volcano. A twenty five year old Raquel Welch in an animal skin bikini. What more do you want?
PROOF - A young man is pulled into a strange triangle involving a blind photographer and his housekeeper.
THE QUIET EARTH - A scientist discovers that he is apparently the last person on earth when an experiment goes awry. One of the few modern science fiction films that isn't thirty years behind its literary counterparts.
ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD - Tom Stoppard's adaption of his own play is essentially an existential Abbot and Costello film. Two minor characters from Hamlet try to come to terms with their existence.
SANJURO - Akira Kurosawa's sequel to Yojimbo. A wandering samurai with no name becomes involved in a conflict between two clans. The final sword fight is classic Kurosawa.
TRUST - Quirky romance between a pregnant teenager and a socially isolated intellectual.
THE UNINVITED - One of the few '40's era ghost movies that doesn't cop out in the end.
VALLEY OF THE GWANGI - Another Harryhausen film. This time it is Cowboys vs Dinosaurs in turn of the century Mexico.
THE WRONG MAN - Another obscure Hitchcock, as well as one of the earliest (and best) examples of a docudrama.
X THE UNKNOWN - British thriller about scientists battling radioactive mud. Although I don't have a clear memory of this movie, the only other "X" movies I've seen are Xica, which I disliked, and Xanadu, which I liked when it came out, but probably wouldn't now.
YOUNG AND INNOCENT - More obscure Hitchcock. A young man is accused of murder and is assisted by the daughter of the police chief. Terrific blend of comedy, suspense, and romance. In approximately that order.
ZULU - One of the best of the "small outpost defends itself against an attack by an overwhelming force." Michael Caine's first major role. He only got it because he was willing to travel to Africa on short notice.
Brian Bruns
BBEBruns@cs.com
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Last updated on Jan. 20, 2000. Send comments about this page to: Joe Struss (jastruss@iastate.edu)